[Pat, taking on consoler, though feeling it keenly herself] “Not everything, we’ll still have the dairy and the veg and Tom’s pigs.”

[Tony] “I’ve been a dairy farmer all my life, now what will I be. A glorified market gardener. Seeing the calf born the other day, how many moments have we experienced like that over the years … bringing a new life into the world, caring for it, raising it, I almost think … it’s silly … it’s like the cows aren’t just a piece of property, like a tractor or a barn. Almost feel they’re like our partners in our business. Now, after all these years, we’re getting rid of them. It doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you’d do to your partner.”

[Pat] “I'd been a bit miffed if you did it to me!”.

[Tony] “Not much chance of that.”

(just not ‘much’ chance? Surely that should be ‘no chance’, surely?)

[Pat] “It’s not as if they’re going for slaughter, They’ll all still have long, productive lives, with farmers who care for them.”

[Tony] “And I’ll tell you the other thing. The money we raise, what are we going to do with it?”

[Pat] “Put it towards are pension savings, surely?”

[Tony] “Well, we say that, but with returns being so low, is that the best place for it?”

Ah – the money will make it up to them to an extent … but a silent yard will be hard with which to cope.

A deal is struck (thank goodness!)

After being berated by Ruth for being too harsh on Pip, when they’ve also just lent money to Josh, David seems to have had a change of heart.

Despite Pip still being a moody wee madam, David brokers a deal. He tells her he’s been thinking about the car loan:

[Pip, petulant] “Yes, you made your point dad.”

(good god … I’d have given up there and then!)

[David] “Now, hear me out. I still think if you want a more expensive car, the only way to get it is to save and look for more work … I know that’s going to take time, and on reflection I was a bit hard expecting you to do that all by yourself, so, what I was thinking ….”

David later went on to explain that he knows she needs a car quickly, and that she has to accept that she can only afford to get a ‘reasonable’ one, rather than a perfect one.

[Pip] “I don’t want some old death trap.”

David concurs.

So, he reckons that if Pip can find one realistically in her price range, he and Ruth will pay to have it checked properly, will help pay her with insurance, and will loan her a bit of money to get the car.

[David] “So, that’s the deal, what do you think?”

[Pip, still a bit moody] “Okay then, looks like that’s the best I’m going to get.”

David still takes the opportunity to (gently, this time) berate Pip for blowing all of her wages on holidays and clothes.

[David] “You should have had a nice nest egg by now, enough to pay for the flash motor you want, but it’s all gone.”

So, as part of the deal, he and Ruth want to see Pip saving something every month.

[Pip] “Thank you.”

And you know what – this time, Pip did sound genuinely grateful.

[David] “It’s okay, glad we got it sorted out.”

Thanks goodness for that.

Not sure how much door slamming and tantrums I could have coped with.

Matt has no sympathy

Lilian’s has received the letter from Elona giving notice on No.3 The Green.

[Matt] “I always said a place in Ambridge was always a push for those two on their money. Still it’s a shame.”

[Lilian] “It’s sad.”

Ah – Matt’s not sad about Darrell and Elona splitting, subsequently having to give up their home. He thinks it’s a shame that he and Lilian will have to advertise for new tenants, and pay for cleaning costs. Lilian’s sad about the relationship break up and them having to leave Ambridge – especially considering all of the help Elona gave to Jack and Peggy.

[Matt] “Like I said, it was never realistic … And now We’re saddled with trying to find another tenant.”

[Lilian] “That’s how you see it, is it?”

[Matt] “That’s how it is.”

Ah … is Lilian looking for Matt’s compassionate, romantic side (like she sees in Paul … though she’s got that one wrong)? If so, she’ll be searching for it for some time.

A Brookfield lamb gets stuck in a hedge

But Pip got it out.

Phew!

Crying over spilt coffee

Matt’s onto another business wheeze.

He’s heard about Elizabeth selling off some of the Lower Loxley land, and reckons they’ll be prime sites, ideal for Amside.

[Lilian] “It would be a new build … that’s not really our thing.”

Matt reckons it could be their thing.

Lilian reckons they can’t take on another big project, not with the mill conversion.

She also knows they don’t have the finance. Matt reasons they could get a great deal from the banks, with interest rates being so low.

Lilian then spills her coffee. Right over the papers she was working on.

She starts crying.

[Lilian] “All my ideas for the designers!”

[Matt] “You alright Lilian? It’s just a sheet of A4 … you know I’ve been a bit worried about you Puss. You’ve not be yourself for quite a while. You’ve been stressed, distracted, have you got something on your mind, something I could help with maybe?”

Silence from Lilian.

(was she thinking of telling Matt about Paul?).

[Lilian] “No, it’s the usual stuff, work and so on.”

[Matt] “Nothing out of the ordinary?”

Lilian says no.

That might have been the perfect opportunity to have told Matt all.

Matt hires a hitman

[Matt] “It’s me, can we talk? You know what I mentioned on Monday? Yes, it’s on. I don’t want Armageddon. Just enough to warn him off … he needs to learn a lesson.”